1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to handlebars for a bicycle and, more specifically, to performance enhancing handlebars for bicycles.
2. Background Art
In an attempt to improve bicycle performance, manufacturers are designing handlebars that allow cyclists to maximize speed while still allowing the cyclist enough control over a bicycle to navigate difficult courses. The complexities of bicycle design make it difficult to readily assess the merits of a new design without observing the bicycle during racing conditions. Even minor structural changes can sometimes yield significant performance advantages, that result in a concomitant increase in the cyclist's performance.
One of the largest factors in increasing speed is to reduce wind resistance by minimizing the cyclist's frontal profile. To reduce the frontal profile many cyclists lean their upper body forward while riding. This can be quite fatiguing, however, when a bicycle is not designed to allow a cyclist to comfortably maintain a leaning forward position.
To allow cyclists to comfortably lean forward while riding various techniques have been developed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,750,754 to Lennon entitled Bicycle and Handlebar system mentions an over the top type of handlebar. The Lennon '754 handlebars have a second set of handles located in front of the regular handlebar. This allows one to rest one's forearms on pads located on a crosspiece and then grasp the second set of handles that are located further in front of the crosspiece. This causes the bicycler to adopt a lower overall position that reduces the front profile. U.S. Pat. No. 4,878,397 to Lennon entitled Bicycle, Handlebar and Adapter System discusses a handlebar system similar to that of Lennon '754 except that the second set of handlebars form a closed loop with the primary handlebars. Some cyclists have found that these handlebars are unsteady in comers or when making sudden turns. This has led to some racing events disallowing the use of over the top type handlebars.
To try to improve the handling and control of bicycles handlebars were developed that allowed the cyclist to adopt a lower center of gravity while riding. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,209,508 to Lennon entitled Bicycle, Handlebar and Adapter System mentions handlebars that are a variant of the type used on a typical ten speed bike. These handle bars have lateral portions underneath the crosspiece of the handlebar to allow a lower gripping position for a cyclist. The lateral portions can interfere with a cyclist during the operation of a bicycle due to collisions between the cyclist's legs and the lateral portions. In addition, Lennon '508 discloses an inner lower drop loop that can be attached to the crosspiece of the handlebars. This allows one to place one's hands in a lower inside position that is either parallel to or perpendicular to the crosspiece of the handlebars.
The idea of positioning a cyclist's hands in a lower and central position was further refined in U.S. Pat. No. 5,138,893 to Copeland entitled Bicycle Handlebar Handgrip Adapter System that mentions a pair of hand grips that provide a lower and inner gripping position for a cyclist. The lower ends of the adapter handlebars extend inwards from both the point of connection between the adapter and the primary handlebars and from the upper portion of the adapter handlebars.
The contemporary art still needs handlebars that facilitate top performance while providing as much control as possible to avoid the dangerous situations where a cyclist crashes a bicycle while seated in the vulnerable forward leaning position. I believe that it may be possible to improve on the prior art by providing handlebars that allow a cyclist to enhance cycling performance, that reduce the cyclist's front profile, that have improved control to allow a cyclist to react to sudden changes in a course or to unexpected road hazards.